CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The UNC Asheville men's and women's outdoor track and field teams open the 2013 season at the 49er Classic on the campus of UNC Charlotte at Irwin Belk Track Complex starting on Friday.

The Bulldogs posted some solid results during the indoor season and look forward to expanding on that in the outdoor campaign.

"We believe we're the deepest we've been for both the men's and women's teams since I've been here," commented sixth-year coach Jesse Norman. "Both teams had some nice success in the indoor season, and we're looking for even more this spring."

Headlining the Bulldogs in the spring will be junior sprinter Milan Ristic. He's the Big South Conference champion in the 110-meter hurdles and is coming off an appearance at the NCAA Indoor championships in the 60-meter hurdles. Ristic won the BSC indoor championship in the hurdles last month and finished third in the 60 meters.

On the women's side, Sarah Gentry is the defending BSC champion in the 800 meters. She also won the indoor championship in that event last month.

Norman believes the 49er Classic is a perfect place to begin the outdoor season.

"We've been opening the season at Charlotte the past few years, and it's a great place to begin the year," explained Norman. "I look forward to seeing where we're at in the early part of the season.

"We'll see some talented teams at Charlotte," added Norman. "This will be a good measuring stick for both of our teams."